<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Man of his word by SpringBee17</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24332941">Man of his word</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpringBee17/pseuds/SpringBee17'>SpringBee17</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Vampyr (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Fights, Getting Together, Kissing, M/M, Oneshot, Platonic elisabeth ashbury, the big motherfuckig sad</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 06:27:25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,880</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24332941</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpringBee17/pseuds/SpringBee17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Doctor Jonathan Reid returns to London a shell of his former self after his mentors death. Geoffrey stays true to his word and attempts to kill him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Geoffrey McCullum/Jonathan Reid</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>66</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Man of his word</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I was writing meant to be broken but hit a wall. so I wrote this to get the gears grinding again. This is the prequal to that but you can read it as a standalone if you want.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The moon poked through dreary clouds fat with rain as Doctor Jonathan Reid stepped off the train. His heart numbed by the death of his closest friend he had made in his unlife. He winced as the thought of Elisabeth Ashbury conjured feelings of guilt and hot shame in his stomach, He couldn't save her. Despite her tutelage and his strong will he had made the wrong choices, betrayed the wrong people. and now he could add her name to the growing list of people he had let down. First it was his twin Mary, struck down by his own hand twice, then it was Nurse Crane, her brilliant mind numbed by inexperienced fumbling with power beyond his comprehension and poor, poor doctor Swansea, Blinded by outrage and frustration he had left him to die at the hands of Priwen. and now his mentor, he could still see how the flames reflected in her green eyes as she went to her rest. The Doctor did not know if there was a heaven or a hell for creatures such as him, But may god have mercy on his soul if there was such a thing. He adjusted the painting underneath his arm, keeping the memories of the dead in the front of his mind as he started through the slippery streets of London.</p><p>He pondered as to what to do with the portrait that Elisabeth painted of him the entire train ride from Scotland. He no longer saw it as himself but as some grotesque caricature of his soul. He thought of burning it, but every time he neared a fire to finally lay his friends memory to rest, the heat of the fire seemed to intensify his guilt and he couldn't bear to do it. So instead he found himself in the west end near the late lady's house, hoping to give it to its new owner. Charlotte Ashbury was still awake, but her eyes were gritty and bloodshot as she hastily wiped them when she opened the door.</p><p>"Doctor Reid, Come in!" she said, a sullen smile gracing her face.</p><p>Jonathan shook his head, "Sorry to disturb you, my lady, I just wanted to give you this, it was a work of your mothers,"</p><p>He placed the painting into her hand, where she tentatively unwrapped it. Her brown eyes widened and she looked at him as if silently asking why.</p><p>"It was your mothers last painting before she-" He trailed off for once at a loss for words, "I just figured it was your right to have it,"</p><p>Charlotte nodded solemnly and he bid her farewell, but not before making her promise to get some rest. He scanned the small courtyard outside the manor with his ekon sight, paranoid that a sewer dog or Priwen patrol was going to appear out of thin air. Jonathan hoped that the numb,freezing feeling he felt would've subsided after the portrait was no longer in his sight, but it seemed to worsen and he felt his throat constricting and bloody tears threatened to fall. He made his way to his childhood home but stopped short. He wouldn't have been able to bear his mother roaming around the house, muttering to herself or Avery's stare, <em>You should've been here</em> it seemed to say to him. He still had time left before Dawn, he could delay his homecoming for now.</p><p>Wiping his eyes and letting out a breathless sigh, he started towards whitechapel. Barely even noticing where he was headed. While Disease and Skals were less rampant now that the Epidemic and the blood of hate was defeated, the borough felt as desolate as it had when he left London, Nurse Crane was sorely missed among its residences and Jonathan felt the guilt in every shadow soaked crevice, every toiling of saint Mary's bell and every scowling face he met along the way. However there were fewer priwen guards tonight, the one patrol he did see was completely at ease and were chatting quietly among themselves. It was near Mason Swanboroughs tenement where he first felt himself being watched. His eyes darted round, the world turning to shadow as he tried to find any trace of a heartbeat nearby that was louder than a rat. He stood there straining his ears for another moment before continuing his way towards Stonebridge cemetery. </p><p>Mary's grave was well tended too, the cross was clean and unbroken and fresh flowers were laid on top of it. white Lilies. He sat cross-legged in front of her grave and ran his hands over the newly sprouted grass and springy moss growing atop of the tilled dirt. </p><p>"I don't know what i'm doing Mary," He mumbled sorrowfully to himself, looking up as the first few raindrops began to fall.</p><p>Tears rolled down his cheeks, and he wondered if the earth would claim him if were to die, could he drive a stake through his own heart like he did to Mary? In the deafening silence of the graveyard, all the emotion, the guilt, the sadness, the fear and the disgust of his existence that he kept hidden since his turning welled up inside him and he threw his head back in a cry of anguish, he self-preservation that kept him quiet all night dwindling.</p><p>He stood up and ran his hands through his hair and it fell out of place and hung across his forehead. He tried to stop the torrent of dark thoughts running through his mind. </p><p>A bolt from a crossbow suddenly thudded into the soft ground where he was sitting mere seconds before. He looked up, startled.</p><p>Geoffrey Mccullum was standing at the entrance of the circular courtyard. He unsheathed his sword and bellowed a guttural war cry. Jonathan's own personal angel of vengeance.  The hunter launched himself at the ekon and Jonathan instinctively Threw up a shield of blood and shadow. He staggered back and dropped the shield as Geoffrey reverberated off it.</p><p>"The hell did I say would happen if I saw your face again leech?" Geoffrey snarled before lunging at Jonathan with his sword once again, catching the arm of his coat.</p><p>caught of guard, Jonathan shadow leaped out of his way as he took another swing and bared his fangs in a hiss. Causing Geoffrey to grunt in disgust.</p><p>Jonathan attempted to dig the small scalpel he carried in his coat pocket out, only to be hit in the shoulder with a bolt. Briefly blinded by the pain and delirious with the smell of blood, Jonathan slashed his claws at the hunter and heard Geoffrey grunt as he connected with his arm. Geoffrey went down and Jonathan saw his chance, He didn't want to hurt the hunter too bad, just enough for the stubborn man to know to stay away. He didn't count on the hunter throwing sand in his eyes and kicking the legs out from underneath him before throwing himself on top of him. The two men grappled in the earth made slick by the rain and mud, throwing punches and kicking. Jonathan was tiring from the amount of blood lost and it wasn't before long until Geoffrey got the upper hand and pinned him to the ground, straddling his hips. The hunter raised a stake high above his head, Jonathan found it odd how he wanted to die mere minutes ago yet now that he was staring it in the face, he wanted to live. Jonathan closed his eyes tightly and waited for the killing blow only for it to never come.</p><p>slowly Jonathan looked into Geoffrey's eyes, the hunter still had the stake raised above his head, but there was a look of hesitance written on his usually scowling features, Jonathan listened to his heart beating rapidly. Geoffrey sighed in frustration and dropped the stake but stayed seated on Jonathan. The hunters head lowered. </p><p>"Why did it have to be you that I couldn't get outta my head?" He said.</p><p>Jonathan's chest went tight, and it was lucky that he could not blush. Despite being the bane of his existence, the ekon already knew he admired Geoffrey's tenacity and cleverness and now for perhaps the first time he noticed how handsome the hunter was. carefully as if Geoffrey was a cornered animal instead of ruthless hunter, The doctor stroked the hunters cheeks and forced him to look him in the eyes. Geoffrey slowly started to lean in and Jonathan met him halfway, their lips meeting. The kiss deepened as Jonathan's hands started to wander. With a cold horror Jonathan remembered one small detail.</p><p>"Geoffrey? we're in a <em>cemetery," </em></p><p>Geoffrey mumbled in agreement before moving his lips down to Jonathan's neck.</p><p>"My sisters buried not even ten feet away from us,"</p><p>The hunter Sat up and glared at the vampire.</p><p>"Well where do you want to go leech?" Geoffrey asked exasperatedly though the word didn't hold any of its usual venom.</p><p>"I have a lair not too far from here, we could go there?" Jonathan said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.</p><hr/><p>A few Hours later saw the two men sharing a cigarette and watching the dawn burn away the nights rain from a broken window in one of Jonathan's safe houses. Despite being naked and peppered with marks from each other an uncomfortable silence pressed down on them. Jonathan was the first to break the silence.</p><p>"we should talk about this," The doctor said.</p><p>The hunter pursed his lips and looked down at where the ekon was stretched like a content cat on a sagging bed.</p><p>"Well, call me old fashioned but I don't believe in sneaking away after a night together," Geoffrey remarked.</p><p>Most of his guards believed the opposite was true, that having relationships outside of the guard was putting a target on their back. Geoffrey wondered what his guards would think of him, he expected them not to care about him lying with a man, after all hes certain they see stranger things nightly. Him lying with a leech is another story. The doctors voice broke him out of his thoughts. </p><p>"That's fine with me love, just one condition,"</p><p>Geoffrey arched an eyebrow at the pet name and Jonathan sat up to look him in the eye.</p><p>"we mustn't ever hurt one another ever again, in any way" Jonathan said seriously.</p><p>Geoffrey smiled and nodded, sealing their unspoken promise with a kiss. He knew from the moment that he saw Jonathan that night that he was hurting, and probably still was. It was a hurt that he wouldn't be able to fix but at least he could stand at Jonathan's side as he tried to heal.</p><p>He watched as the Sun rose higher and his lover grow more tired as the stars disappeared for the day. He stayed with Jonathan until the sun drew him into a death sleep, keeping vigil as the sun grew brighter. Then dressed and made sure that the window was once again carefully covered over and ran his hand through the Ekons hair.</p><p>He wrote the doctor a note and then slipped quietly out the door.</p><p>When Jonathan Reid awoke the next night he found a note left folded neatly on his coat.</p><p>'<em>Don't worry Reid, I've always been a man of my word'</em></p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>